Wednesday, December 18, 2024
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Europe’s most powerful electric vehicle charging hub coming to Oxford

Oxford City Council, Pivot Power, Fastned, Tesla Superchargers & Wenea team up to deliver the UK’s largest public EV charging hub of 38 fast and ultra-rapid chargers, delivering 100% renewable energy to EV drivers day and night.

UK-based Pivot Power, part of EDF Renewables, and Oxford City Council have joined up with Fastned, the European electric vehicle (EV) fast charging company, Tesla Superchargers and Wenea, one of the largest EV charging services providers in Europe, to deliver Europe’s most powerful EV charging Superhub in Oxford.

The hub, initially featuring 38 fast and ultra-rapid chargers in a single site, is the most powerful in Europe – with up to 10MW of power on site – and will scale up to help meet the need for EV charging in the area for the next 30 years.

It is the first of up to 40 similar sites planned across the UK to help deliver charging infrastructure needed for the estimated 36 million EVs by 2040.

Unlike any other UK charging hub, the site, at Redbridge Park & Ride, is directly connected to the high voltage national electricity grid, to provide the power needed to charge hundreds of EVs at the same time, rapidly, and without putting strain on the local electricity network or requiring costly upgrades.

This innovative network, developed by Pivot Power, has the capacity to expand to key locations throughout Oxford to meet mass EV charging needs, from buses and taxis to commercial fleets.

The station will be powered by 100% renewable energy, partly generated by the company’s trademark solar roof, and all makes and models of EVs will be able to charge at the highest rates possible simultaneously.

The announcement is a key milestone in the completion of Energy Superhub Oxford (ESO), due to open in Q4 this year, and comes as Oxford is set to launch the UK’s first Zero Emission Zone this August, where vehicles are charged based on their emissions, with EVs able to use the zone for free.

To accelerate the delivery of ESO, the Government has contributed £10 million to the project via UKRI’s Prospering from the Energy Revolution programme.

Matt Allen, CEO at Pivot Power, said: “Our goal is to help the UK accelerate net zero by delivering power where it is needed to support the EV and renewable energy revolution. Oxford is one of 40 sites we are developing across the UK, combining up to 2GW of battery storage with high volume power connections for mass EV charging.

“Energy Superhub Oxford supports EDF’s plan to become Europe’s leading e-mobility energy company by 2023, and is a blueprint we want to replicate right across the country, working hand in hand with local communities to create cleaner, more sustainable cities where people want to live and work.”

Councillor Tom Hayes, Cabinet Member for Green Transport and Zero Carbon Oxford at Oxford City Council, said: “For Oxford to go zero carbon by 2040, we need to electrify a lot more of our transportation. As an innovative city embracing technologies and change, Oxford is the natural home for the UK’s largest public EV charging hub.”

Rob Saunders, Challenge Director, Prospering from the Energy Revolution, UKRI, said: “Forward-thinking innovation in the energy space is key not only to change current energy use, but to plan for societies and industries that prosper in the future. The combination of benefits this project delivers – from storage and AI-powered flexibility services, to greener heating and vehicle charging – are exactly the kind of multipurpose solution that will help drive the UK forward as a leading net zero innovator.

“The Energy Superhub is also a great demonstration of what can be achieved with a commitment to collaboration, and bringing together different areas of expertise to tackle key issues for our energy future.”

Images: courtesy GreenhousePR.co.uk

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